Separable letter or bill file.



BATENTED FEB. 17., 1903.

H. R. GENTSGH. SEPARABLE LETTER OR BILB FILE.

NO MODEL.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 18, 1902.

H HI I I I I I H H 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

HENRY RfGENTSGI-I, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SEPARABLE LETTER OR BILL FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,576, dated February 17, 1903.

Application filed October 18, 1902. Serial No. 127,894. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY R. GENTSCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separable Letter or Bill Files, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in an instrument or device to be used for filing straight sheets of paper, such as letters, bills, statements, and the like; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement,and operation of the parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a file of the above-described character which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable, and so made that when the file is filled with letters, bills, or sheets of paper any desired letter or sheet may be reached and examined or removed, if

desired, without disturbing other letters or sheets with relation to one another. In other Words, the spindle of the file is made of two pieces, so that it can be separated in order to reach or remove a sheet located at any point thereon.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a file embodying my invention, showing the parts in position ready to receive the letters, bills, or sheets of paper; andFig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing the upper portion of the spindle detached from the lower part and shortened for the convenience of illustration.

Similar letters refer to like parts in the two views of the drawings.

A represents the base, which may be of any suitable size, form, and material, but is pref erably made of metal and of the shape shown in the drawings. 4

On the upper surface of the base A is usually secured a circular plate a, which is provided at its central upper portion with a socket-piece b, in which is fitted a tube B, which extends vertically,as shown. The lower I portion of this tube is provided with a recess 0, which communicates with the cavity of the tube. Secured at one of its ends to the plate a is a spring 0, which is provided with an elongated slot 0, through which the tube portion 13 of the spindletextends. The upper or free end of the spring 0 is provided with a thumb-piece D, on which the thumb or finger may be pressed when it is desired to release the upper portion or removable part of the spindle. As shown in the drawings, the upper edge of the slot 0 intersects the recess a of the tubular portion B of the spindle, so as to engage the notch or recess 6 on the lower end of the upper portion of the spindle,whicl1 upper portion consists of a piece E, having its upper end pointed, so'that it will readily pierce sheets of paper, and has its lower portion E reduced to fit within the tubular portion B, as will be readily understood. By

placing the reduced portion E of the upper part of the spindle in the tubular portion B and pressing it downwardly it is apparent that the rounded lower end 6 thereof will contact with the upper surface of the spring 0 just above its slot, thus depressing the spring un-' til the head 6 has passed below the edge of the slot, when said edge will engage the recess 6 of the reduced portion E of theupper part of the spindle, thus securely holding it in position. When the parts are thus arranged, sheets of paper may be placed in position on the spindle by causing its upper end to pierce them and by pressing them downwardly thereon. When the file has been filled with sheets of paper and it is desired to remove one of the sheets which may be located near the bottom or about the middle of the spindle, it is apparent that by pressing down on the thumbpiece D of the spring the said spring will be disengaged from the notch e in the upper or separable part of the spindle and allow it to be entirely or partially removed, so that the desired sheet may be examined while still on the file or removed therefrom.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As an improved article of manufacture, a separable file for letters, bills, and the like, comprising a base portion, a tube secured to the upper surface of the base and having near I near its lower end with a notch to engage the its lower end a recess communicating With its spring, substantially as described.

cavity it sprin secured at one of its ends on the base and hgving a slot through which the HENRY GEN'I 5 tubular piece extends, and a rod having its \Vitnesses:

upper end pointed and its lower portion re CHAS. O. TILLMAN, duced so as to fit in the tube and provided I A. GUSTAFSON. 

